The claims that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and that attacking Iraq would help rid the world of terrorism lie in ruin. Tragically, so too do the lives of over 10,000 dead Iraqi civilians and 700 dead Coalition soldiers, and those that mourn their loss.

The credibility of the US Military to deliver peace and justice lie in ruin also following the uncovering of its inhumane treatment of Iraqi detainees.

Surely it is time to learn from the tragic mistakes in Iraq and withdraw the troops. This will allow the vast financial resources spent on failing military solutions to be channelled into rebuilding basic services such as hospitals and schools and to finding lasting and principled peace in the region through genuine dialogue.

The current US policy of continuing the coalition's military occupation until 2007 with up to 100,000 troops on the ground will only lead to more tragedy in Iraq and higher risks of global terrorism. In the coming election, Australian's will get to choose whether they wish to have a John Howard government lead them down this path of destruction.